Whoa….Whoa! I dunno why, but that is kinda scary. That you can just be like zoom… and see all that stuff from your computer. Damn, now I have to use my ninja skills to keep from being captured by oddly costumed mascot Google man…

Gee, I was just thinking “What could the internet do to make the average sex offender's/stalker's life easier?” Now there's a tool they can use to track targets-er, people right from thier computer! Excellent!

Give it a few years. You already can zoom in, so yah, you can see who it is sometimes. Plus, a lot of these feeds are live on street corners, so you can see people walking by. And even if you can't make out a face, you can still make out a certain body type, wardrobe, car, lisence plate, etc.

Did you know you can find out A LOT about a person just by knowing their lisence Plate?

But it seems that's the divide here. I'm in my 30's, and I think it's very “Big Brotherish” and creepy. The younger you are, it seems the cooler you think this is. Maybe it's because the younger generation has grown up being filmed everywhere you go, and are just numb to it. I live in a small town and am recorded at least 5 times a day. More if go shopping.

SpANGGee, I was just thinking “What could the internet do to make the average sex offender's/stalker's life easier?” Now there's a tool they can use to track targets-er, people right from thier computer! Excellent!

I don't find it particularly invasive, and I'm pretty darn close to my 30's. Like Volte said, it's not like they're filming the inside of your house, or you can zoom in close enough to peek in someone's window. If someone is stalking you, and they find your house on google street maps, that probably means they already have your address. Seeing a photo of your house doesn't really matter much at that point, since they could pretty much find you either way, if they really wanted.

Hmm, I can see some of SpANG's point… I haven't tried it out myself yet (not that interested), but it's not random like normal streetcams, or inaccessible like surveillance cams; it's user directed. Although it's not that important, it could be just another useful tool in a stalker's arsenal. …I mean “terrorists” already use Google earth for scoping out sites according to the FBI…

And before that would you have cried out in protest against newspaper clippings? Photographs? Paper maps? This is just a newer version of the same thing.

I would even put forth that if the car driving by your house can see into it, then that's not invasive either. The fact you would leave your windows open is a signal that you don't mind people seeing in…

“If you're doing nothing wrong, then you shouldn't complain about being photographed at all times.” Well, that's the ‘ol facist statement, isn’t it? If you would like to make an silly assumption that I am doing something wrong and that's why I don't want to be filmed 24/7, then I can't stop you. But it isn't about that.

The fact that you can see a live feed that is open to the PUBLIC is my problem. Using video footage for law enforcement is a different thing entirely.

It's not the same as being there, because before you couldn't literally follow a person home without them seeing you following them, or at least someone being suspicious. Now, Google makes that all anonymous. If you have a child that captures someone's interest, then there is a possibility that they could follow then all the way home, all without leaving their computer.

You can say I'm paranoid. But over the years, our privacy rights have been slowly erroding. I'm sure I'm not the only one that sees this.

Volte6The fact you would leave your windows open is a signal that you don't mind people seeing in…

HAha! So being a peeping tom, even with special devices like binoculars and cameras is okay, because she wanted you to see… Right?